In the process of manufacturing semiconductors, for example, various kinds of gases are used. Generally in this kind of manufacturing process, in order to control a gas feed rate, a gas flow rate is regulated by interposing a flow detector and a flow controller in a gas-feeding path (gas pipe). The flow detector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 11-132813 is made up of a block body forming a path basically interposed in a gas pipe, and a flow sensor that is installed in the block body and detects the flow rate of gas (fluid) flowing through the path. The flow controller disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 2000-81914 has a configuration in which the block body is further provided with a flow-regulating valve that regulates the flow rate of the gas (fluid).
On a fluid entry port side of the path (upstream side of the path) formed by the block body, there is commonly disposed a rectifier for preventing the turbulence of the gas (fluid) channeled into the path in a position upstream of the flow sensor. Such a flow detector and a flow controller are provided, for example in the front plate of their housing, with an indicator that indicates a flow rate value and the like measured by the flow detector and the flow controller by using the flow sensor, and an operation switch for setting a control parameter and the like with respect to the flow-regulating valve system.
In case that the flow detector and the flow controller are used in a state fixed to the given panel, the flow detector and the flow controller are usually fixed to the panel so that the front plate provided with the indicator and the operation switch is exposed to the front surface side of the panel. On the back surface side of the panel attached with the flow detector and the flow controller, the connection of pipes, electrical signal wires and the like, with respect to the flow detector and the flow controller is carried out.
As described in the above-mentioned publications, however, a conventionally common flow detector and flow controller have a configuration in which a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet are coaxially arranged to face in the opposite direction to each other so as to be used in a state interposed in the given pipe. For this reason, in case that a plurality of flow detectors and flow controllers like those described in the patent publications are utilized alongside of each other, it is necessary to secure space for piping with respect to the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. This produces the problem that the flow detector and the flow controller cannot be installed close to each other.